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ADHD Message Boards : ADHD with Co-Existing Disorders

Topic: Dysthymia

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kjl2691
Senior Member

Joined: 29 August 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 657

Posted: 28 October 2009 at 6:46am \| IP Logged

I have been doing a lot of internet research on depression and most sites point to major depression but when I read about this condition, Dysthymia, or chronic depression, I was like, "That's ME!!!" I hit every symptom. My prescriber wanted to look at mood disorders and while this technically does fall into that category, I associate mood disorder with bipolar disorder. (correct me if I am wrong) I am not bipolar. I have, for decades, had a sense of depression about nothing in particular at times, just a feeling of sadness all the time. Sure there are moments of satisfaction and even some happy times but for the most part, I feel sad. Occassionally, I have had some bouts with major depression. For those with Dysthymia when you have major depression, it's called "Double Depression". Oh boy, there's a great label. Not.

I've done the anti-depressant route many, many times with little success. Could it have been because the medications I was taking were for major depression and not dysthymia? And if and when I do get an accurate diagnosis by a professional, where is my course of treatment if anti-depressants don't help? I know I'm jumping the gun a bit but in true ADHD fashion, the wheels keep on spinning.

For the past two therapy sessions, I've wanted to discuss this but I'm embarrassed. I don't quite know why. Maybe because I'm right about a potential diagnosis? Maybe because I am finally able to admit something "dark" about myself? I don't know. But I need to talk about this and then maybe I'll feel more comfortable talking to my therapist about it.

If anyone else has experience with this condition or even depression in general, I'd really like to hear about it. You can PM me if you want. Thanks.

__________________
My Mission Statement: To live my life with purpose being honest with myself and trusting myself with patience and acceptance.

adhdgirl29
Groupie
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Joined: 24 September 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 83

Posted: 07 November 2009 at 8:16am \| IP Logged

I got anxiety and an eating disorder with my ADHD and steered clear of depression. But my husband who does not have ADD or ADHD was recently diagnosed with Dysthymia and is currently trying out Wellbutrin along with therapy.

He has been on the medication less than a month though, and I haven't noticed any changes yet. The medication can take a while to start helping and then he might not even have the correct dose yet. But I blog about my life and my adhd and if I see any changes or anything noticeable with his treatment then I'll post about that too.

I can also ask him specific questions for you if you think it will help, just email me. I'm sorry I'm not much more help than this. It is something I am just starting to learn about myself.

~ADHDGirl

http://ijustlearnedihaveadhdnowwhat.blogspot.com/

kjl2691
Senior Member

Joined: 29 August 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 657

Posted: 07 November 2009 at 8:51am \| IP Logged

Thanks for your comments. I'm slowly working up the courage to talk to my therapist about a possible Dysthymia diagnosis. I see her this Thursday. I think for me, I always knew ADHD was the main problem and that "depression" was a secondary condition. Doctors and therapists always thought it was the depression was the main problem. I think now that I've been diagnosed and treated for the ADHD, I am finally able to look at the depression more closely and I'm finally able to address the right TYPE of depression. All the "tests" and questions for depression are for major depression - not the chronic dysthymia which I believe is my type. That's why it has never been properly diagnosed or treated. The professionals were always skating around it.

I tried Wellbutrin a number of years ago with no success. Maybe because the ADHD wasn't diagnosed? I have recently tried Trazodone for sleep issues (which is an anti-depressant) but it makes me more depressed so I know I can't take that. I think if I can get a positive diagnosis from my therapist, that will be half of the treatment.

Just having someone else out there who has even heard of this condition and is willing to respond to my post is helpful. You have no idea. I appreciate your support. Thank you.

__________________
My Mission Statement: To live my life with purpose being honest with myself and trusting myself with patience and acceptance.

Logan'sMom
Senior Member

Joined: 05 June 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 678

Posted: 10 November 2009 at 5:25pm \| IP Logged

I've had "treated" depression for many years. My whole family has one depression issue or another. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't really know the difference between Dysthymia and major depression. I never had a problem with it until my mother died about 15 years ago and it seemed to trigger the problem. Even after the grieving process it just wouldn't go away. The doc said that the trauma of losing mom triggered the chemical imbalance that had effected everyone else in my family for so long. Long story short, after a lot of "no, no, no, no" I finally agreed to try antidepressants and it has made and incredible difference in my life. I'm still on them today and I live a very happy life (all things considered! )

First thing you should do is definitely discuss it with your therapist. You should NEVER be embarassed about depression. It's not your fault!

I personally don't have ADHD (my son does) but my friend was on anti-depressants for a while but they didn't seem to help her at all with her depression. Eventually she was diagnosed with ADHD and started stimulants instead of the anti-depressants and she said it's like night and day! She said that the doc confused the symptoms of depression with her ADHD. It's all so confusing and hard to diagnose. You need to let your doctor help you!

__________________
DS 5 yo-ADHD/Sensory Issues/Anxiety
Taking Strattera, Methylin (generic Ritalin), and Tenex
Melatonin/ Fish Oil/ L-Theanine

kjl2691
Senior Member

Joined: 29 August 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 657

Posted: 10 November 2009 at 5:39pm \| IP Logged

Thanks. The difference between Dysthymia and major depression is that dysthymia is like a chronic, low grade fever that never goes away. There's always a sadness lurking inside me. Major depression is more sudden and more intense. I think over the years when the "professionals" would tell me I'm depressed, I was like, yeah, I'm depressed but it's not major depression. The quizzes and checklists never quite fit what I was experiencing. I didn't talk to my therapist yet but I think I may be able to now. Thanks for the support - it's encouraging. I'm still skeptical of anti-depressants though.

__________________
My Mission Statement: To live my life with purpose being honest with myself and trusting myself with patience and acceptance.

Logan'sMom
Senior Member

Joined: 05 June 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 678

Posted: 11 November 2009 at 10:02am \| IP Logged

That makes sense! I guess what I had when my mom died was Major depression and after a few years when it wouldn't go away it turned into Dysthymia. I was like you describe...sad most of the time, couldn't look forward to anything, mostly just blah about everything. Like a gray cloud was always around.

The anti-depressants worked very gradually. It took 3-4 weeks and it was so subtle that I didn't realize it was helping until one day I woke up and said-"Wow, I feel good!" I was lucky I had a baseline that I was familiar with. I knew what it felt like to feel "good" so when I got back there I knew it was right.

I wish you the best of luck!

__________________
DS 5 yo-ADHD/Sensory Issues/Anxiety
Taking Strattera, Methylin (generic Ritalin), and Tenex
Melatonin/ Fish Oil/ L-Theanine

kjl2691
Senior Member

Joined: 29 August 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 657

Posted: 11 November 2009 at 10:24am \| IP Logged

Thanks again. I don't know really what it feels like to feel "good". I've been this way most of my life. I'm not sure if I want to go down the anti-depressant road again. it was such a failure before. But we'll see.

__________________
My Mission Statement: To live my life with purpose being honest with myself and trusting myself with patience and acceptance.

Briefcameron
Groupie
Groupie

Joined: 24 November 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 40

Posted: 25 November 2009 at 7:52pm \| IP Logged

I recently got diagnosed with dysthemia, almost exactly 12 months ago, alongwith my adhd that ive already known about and been treating for some time. Dysthemia made sense to me almost immediately i guess, because i know i dont have major depression, nor do i have bipolar, but dysthemia seemsed to fit the bill much better. After having mixed results on and off over the past few years, i got on some medications that DEFINITELY had results. You said the major anti depressants didn't work for you... Were they all SSRI's? That was the case with me, until last year. I branched out after doing my own research, and found much much better results with other types. SSRI's are prescribed so much nowadays because they are the NEWEST line of treatment for depression, but not necessarily because they are always the BEST. A couple of the older tricyclics (mainly norpramine) have very little side effects and still to this day are great for treating depression. They're just not new anymore, so people kind of tend to forget about them. In addition, wellbutrin is in a different class than the SSRI's and it also worked wonders for me. Both if these did WONDERS for the dysthemia, and they also both worked also immediately, although that may not be the case for everyone. In addition, they are both prescribed off-label for athe treatment for adhd, and they also both helped that area for me as well. You will probably have to ask your doctor about them, or at least the norpramine, since it is older it is usually not something they will bring up themselves, but if you bring it up to them they should 100% willing to go along with it if that's what you want to do. Hoped my input helped. Good luck. Everyone deserves to enjoy life. Please keep posting your progrees.

__________________
A child's rhyme stuck in my head.
It said that life is but a dream.
I've spent so many years in question...
to find I've known this all along.

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